SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Illinois State softball team traveled away from Normal for the first time this fall Sunday and fell twice in South Bend. The Redbirds took on the Fighting Irish and lost 12-7. They then matched up with Western Michigan and were defeated 4-3.
ISU's game against Notre Dame quickly turned into a slugfest as the Redbirds opened the game with a five-run first inning. A Regan Romshek walk and Stephanie Gallant single set up a two-RBI triple, clubbed by Molly Cull. Cull would come home one batter later as Riley Strandgard reached on an error. Strandgard then scored on a Lindsey Greene double.
Notre Dame answered back with three runs of its own and then the Irish tacked another on in the second.
ISU scored two more in the third inning as Kelsey Turczyn and Strandgard crossed the plate. Notre Dame responded with a run to bring the score to 7-5. After the Irish secrured a five-run inning in the fourth, the Redbirds would have no response, going scoreless for the rest of the game.
ND put up two more in the fifth for the 12-7 victory. ISU finished with seven hits from seven different players. Romshek, McKensie Vissering and Sarah Finck all pitched and Finck worked a hitless seventh. Notre Dame did not strike out in the game.
In ISU's second matchup of the day, the 'Birds found themselves down 1-0 to Western Michigan in the top of the fourth, but Jordan de los Reyes led off with a double and was later driven in by Caitlyn Daly.
In the sixth inning, Western Michigan took the lead with a three-run inning. ISU rallied in the seventh, but fell one run short with the tying run standing on third.
The Redbirds finished with six hits for the game, with Abby Turczyn claiming two. Finck started and pitched the first four innings, scattering five hits while giving up one run and striking out two.
ISU will be on the road again this weekend with two games at Illinois Saturday, Sept. 27. Start times have changed, with the first game beginning at 10 a.m. The second game will follow at approximately noon.
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